Having grown up in Dorset, with childhood holidays to Cornwall and Scotland, the sea and its coastal landscapes are an enduring inspiration to Katharine Le Hardy in her art.

Her seascapes present familiar yet universal landscapes and settings. As Katharine explains, ‘The Cornish coast is the starting point for my landscapes which are only loosely based on definite locations.  The absence of obvious landmarks and identifiable features enables the images to exist as timeless, dreamlike expanses where sea meets land, inviting the viewer into a restorative space and opportunity for reflection in calm solitude.'

Placing great emphasis on the paint itself, Katharine’s broad, bold brushstrokes add to the texture and material nature of her work.  ‘I like to use gestural marks and loose brushwork to engage the viewer and charge the composition with movement and dynamism, whilst still maintaining balance, building up the paint and alternating transparent and opaque layers, dripping, washing, splashing, allowing it to take its own fluid course and give the image a life of its own.’

With a degree in Fine Art from University of the West of England Katharine has worked as a fulltime artist since 2003 and had numerous solo and group shows across central London and the West Country.